I Am Not Sick – How Our Family Is Coping Through Quarantine

So things are crazy right now. And everything in the world is really overwhelming. To stay calm, my husband, Frank, and I try to stay creative. We write and draw to let go of stress. Amidst everything going on with Coronavirus and the pandemic we are all dealing with, we decided to make a FREE picture book available for download to families. Here’s a little bit more about it:

Book Description:

Tuck does his best to convince his parents he doesn’t need to stay home from school: I am not sick, my nose is only jogging. Then Mom sends Tuck to bed. But with the help of his dog, a frog, and a little imagination, Tuck discovers a day spent inside isn’t so bad. It may even be fun.

Dear Parents and Readers,

I Am Not Sick was a phrase our oldest son used the first week we had to keep him home from school in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak. Why do I have to stay home? I am not sick. His response lingered with us, leading us to wonder how our three boys, all under the age of five, could possibly understand a world event such as this. With the world shutting down due to a pandemic, we felt it was important to get this story out as quickly as possible. Typically, a picture book takes two years to create with a traditional publisher. So in twelve days, from manuscript to final art, we created a book. I Am Not Sick became our way of dealing with a catastrophic event. We are coping as a family, navigating this strange time together. Not all of us want to stay home from the things we love doing, just like the main character in our story. But in this time of crisis we are asked to stay in for the safety of others. It’s our hope that families can share a few minutes of story time with us— a way for us all to connect as we practice social distancing.

Sometimes we get sick. And though it takes us away from the things we love, it’s important to remember not to be afraid. The sun WILL rise and we can all get through this together.

We understand the importance of a home library. As our country is in the midst of a financial crisis, we wanted to give our book away for free as a downloadable PDF while everyone is stuck at home dealing with the onset of the Coronavirus. We hope you enjoy our small contribution.